[avz]

These caveats make sense. I think that the role of computing and automation in law will be similar to their role in many other fields where the new technology does not necessarily eliminate humans completely, but instead increases their productivity by broadening the scope of their work, eliminating the bulk of repetitive and time consuming activities and allowing them to focus their efforts on areas that require nuance and judgement.

An interesting aspect of law-related automation concerns cases that could "be resolved with mathematical efficiency", but for whatever unfortunate reason end up slipping through the cracks in enforcement. Unequal, unpredictable and discretionary enforcement is often source of corruption and inequity, so filling those gaps would be welcome.

[davidm888]

I'm not sure it always both "increases their productivity by broadening the scope of their work" and "allow[s] them to focus their efforts on areas that require nuance and judgement." It might increase productivity, but it could actually decrease critical thought. For example I've met some (disclaimer: some, not all) accountants who have become so reliant on software that they've essentially become data entry personnel and haven't nurtured the ability to think strategically about how or why to do certain things in light of the ever-changing tax code. It's easier to answer a software prompt. This isn't to say it has to be this way, and I agree that freeing up time doing mundane things should allow greater focus on the difficult and more important things. But often times it promotes a "good enough" mentality that enables higher volume, more competitive prices, more free time, or some combination of all three. So for every professional who is now able to do their work better, there are also probably some whose inability was disguised by the fact that they were able to do much of their job without a full understanding of the intricacies. This is especially dangerous in law, because a judge isn't going to care if you were spoon-fed language that "looked good" without fully understanding the overall legal context involved. It's often said that in law school, the most important thing you learn is how to "think like a lawyer." While that might be exaggerated a bit, it underscores the importance of critical thought and why it's a "practice." Automation is good if used as a tool to assist that process, but there are definite downsides if it's allowed to diminish ongoing competent understanding of a rapidly changing landscape. Or worse, if people without a legal background rely on it, thinking that they are getting the right "advice" which in some cases is very difficult to give even for seasoned professionals and is certainly not an exact science.